Hasay breezes into 1,500 final at NCAA Championships

DES MOINES, Iowa — Jordan Hasay isn’t used to finishing second to anyone, but Thursday she was second on her own team.

Hasay, a native of Arroyo Grande and former Mission Prep star, took third in the women’s 1,500-meter preliminary race at the NCAA track and field national championships at Drake Stadium. Her time of 4 minutes, 15.86 seconds was more than good enough to advance to Saturday’s event final.

“I thought it would take 4:15 and that’s what I ran,” Hasay said.

Morgane Gay of Virginia had the top qualifying time, and on the last lap Becca Friday, Hasay’s Oregon teammate, passed Hasay and finished second.

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“With about 200 to go I saw somebody making a big move and I was like, ‘Is this an Oregon uniform?’ ” Hasay said.

Hasay, third at nationals last year in the 1,500, will compete today in the 5,000 and Saturday in the 1,500 final. It’s a much less exhausting slate than what she faced two weeks ago at an NCAA regional meet.

“I’ve run so many prelims but you still get the same nerves. I’m just so excited that it’s two finals and it’s over with,” Hasay said. “Regionals was pretty much all prelims.”

Hasay was a four-time California high school state champion in the girls 3,200-meter, and a four-time state cross country champion while at Mission Prep. She won national indoor championships this season in the mile and 3,000-meter, and in this outdoor season won the Pac-10 titles in the 1,500 and 5,000.

Oregon entered the meet ranked No. 1, and while team standings are still somewhat irrelevant — Oregon is ninth but only five of 21 events have been scored — Hasay feels the Ducks are in good shape for their second national championship and first since 1985.

“It’s exciting that we’re still in the hunt. We didn’t have the greatest day (Wednesday) but some other teams didn’t have the greatest day either,” Hasay said.